Electronic epilator



je 299 3.43. H. E. 5T. PEERRE ELECTRNIC EPILTOR Filed July 27, 1945Patented June 29, 1948 UNITED y STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.444,173 mi .''F'am.

Appllcatlonjuly 27, 1945, Serial No. 607,383

8 Claims. (Cl. 12s-355) The present invention relates to improvements inan electronic epilator wherein controlled high frequency oscillationsand a stabilized and balanced direct current, separately or superimposedone upon the other and connected to a single active electrode or needle,operate in conjunction with a high frequency inductive pad or electrodeand a dispersive electrode, to coagulate and decompose a hair follicleby electrolysis for permanent epilation of superfluous hair.

In the use of electronic devices for diathermy and particularly as anepilator, extensive apparatus is usually required. The power output mustbe regulated so that the action will accomplish the result withoutinjury to the patient or leaving noticeable scar tissue, but when soregulated, the percentage of hair killed is less per area treated pertreatment than that accomplished by the present invention, and requiresrepetitive treatment to accomplish the same percentage of liair killedaccomplished by a single treatment disclosed herein. It has been foundthat by the use of apparatus of the present invention, speed oftreatment has been accomplished and the percentage of kill perindividual treatment has been greatly increased without any sacrifice of`safety to the patient or damage to the skin and with a minimum ofdiscomfort and scar tissue. Accordingly, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a new and improved electronic epilator for the safeand speedy permanent removal of superfluous hair.

Another object is to provide a new and improved device of the characterset forth having a greatly simplified and economically operatedconstruction for quickly and harmlessly destroying hair follicles orbulb roots by electrolysis, coagulation and desiccation.

The use of high frequency currents provides the speed of resultdesirable in the operation, but is painful to the patient and is veryapt to leave extensive scar tissue if a high percentage of hair kill ismaintained. It has been found that by using both controlled highfrequency oscillations and a stabilized and balanced direct current(which may be regulated independently) through a single needle only, theoperator may give much closer attention to the operation than ispossible with multiple needles, without any sacrifice of speed. 'Iheresult is fast and safe for the patient. A further object, therefore, isto provide an electronic epilator wherein a diathermy type of highfrequency generator and a direct current power supply are interconnectedupon or blended with the other so that either or both are available to asingle active electrode operating in conjunction with a high frequencyinductive electrode, or a dispersive electrode, or both, to permanentlykill hair in the first treatvment in more than three-fourths of thesubject follicles, and to provide such an instrument which willoperatewithout undue injury or discomfort to a patient and without noticeablypermanently scarring the adjacent cuticle. No other known devices can beoperated to produce such a high percentage of kill per treatment withsuch speed I and safety.

It has likewise been found in the use of devices of the lpresentinvention wherein high frequency generators and a direct current powersupply may be controlledindependently or blended at will, and where theyare interconnected to a common active electrode, that no charring orcauterization ensues. Thus it is a further object to providea newelectronic epilator for high frequency and direct currents scinterconnected one with the other that the several benefits of each maybe simultaneously or alternately applied for the maximum removal or killof superfluous hair per treatment, without undue injury to the adjacentcuticle or discomfort to a patient.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity andease of assembly and such further objects, advantages, and capabilitiesas will appear from the device and invention described herein. Theinvention further resides in the conventional construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings. and whilethere is shown therein a preferred embodiment, it is to be understoodthat the same is merely illustrative of the invention and that theinvention is capable of modification and change and comprehends otherdetails of construction and arrangements without departing from thespirit or the scope of the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings:

The single figure of the drawings shows two circuits set oil in dottedrectangles, the high frequency generator being indicated by therectangle A and the direct current circuit being indicated by the dottedrectangle B. The high frequency generator indicated as A comprises adiathermy type of circuit in which I and 2 represent the line wires orsource of energy leading to a filament voltage source from a 110 volttransformer 3, connected inductively to high frequency transmitter tubesl and i, which are.

to allow the output of one to be superimposed in turn, connected to acombination of a coil l and a condenser I0. This combination ofinductance and capacitance operates as an oscillator 'and produces anoscillatory circuit to inductively excite a vario coupler i2, one sideof which is connected to an active electrode or needle I4, while theother side is directly connected to an insulated diathermy pad Il forIinductive coupling to .a patient.

To. further. balance and stabilize this current,

lines It and Z lead from the .transmitters or wave r'ectifying tubes 4and 6, after transposition to nullify undue reactance, to oppositeportions of een s, each une la and 2n being further dampened, preferablyby mica condensers 22 and 2l, respectively. This highly stabilizedand'balanced oscillatory current may ybe controlled through a powersupply input 28 and the-cir,-

cuit may lie-'grounded as at 2l.

checking said direct current.

The alternating current rectifier within the dotted rectangle B also haslead-in wires 30 *and 32 from-110 volt alternating current source to astep-.up transformen, coupled to a full#v wave rectifying tube 36,"producing a stable and lwell rectified direct current. -The output ofthis .unitA is controllable independently of the high vfrequency circuitand hasthe positive side dia line 52 leads through a high frequencychoke ..54, preferably an air-choke, to the active electrode or needleI4.

yFurther stabilizing of the direct current is accomplished by the filtercondensers 55 and Si between the transformer 34 and the dispersiveelectrode 38 and arranged to control the direct current output to theactive electrode or needle V14 with which it is directly connected.

In operation, either the insulated diathermy or inductive pad I6 or thedirect dispersive pad 38, or both, may be applied to a patient, afterwhich the point of the active electrode or needle H .is introduced intothe hair follicle (not shown) of the hair to be removed. This completesa stabilized and highly balanced high frequency ycircuitA superimposedupon and blended with or modified by'the direct generator B so that' thesudden development of heat within the subcutaneous area immediatelyadjacent, which normally causes the undue discomfort and perhapspermanent injury to a patient, will -be prevented, while the very smallarea of the hair follicle or hair bulb (not shown) will be instantlycoagulated to an extent which will permanently destroy the hair growth.The pickoii I2 of the high frequency generator A operated independentlyor in conjunction with the rheostat 4l will at all times operateto'alter and controlthe superimposed and blended or balanced currents tomeet varying conditions required for the various individual patients.

I claim: i

l. An epilator comprising a source of high frequency electrical current;a generator producing a stabilized direct current; and an electrodecommon to said high frequency and stabilized direct current.

'4. An epilator comprising a source of high 4frequency electricaloscillations; means for controlling the output of said oscillations; agenerator producing a stabilized direct current;

separate controlling means for said direct current; an active needleelectrode connected to said oscillations` and direct current; aninsulated diathermy pad connected to the high frequency oscillations forinductive coupiingto a patient; and a dispersive electrodev connected tothe direct current. y

5. An I'epilator comprising a high frequency current; condenser means insaid high frequency current; inductance means with high frequencypick-off operatively connected with said :high frequency current; aninsulated diathermy-pad. for inductive coupling to a patient, connectedon one side of said pick-off; an active needle electrode connected `tothe opposite side of said pick-off; a generator for producing a highlystabilized direct current connected to said active needle electrode;control means for-regulating the output of said direct current; and adispersive electrode connected to said direct current. 6. In the methodof removal of superfluous hair, thev step of superimposing-a stabilized'direct current upon a high frequency current leading to a single activeelectrode. 7. A diathermic method including the step o controllablyblending the output bf a stabilized direct currentwith a source of highfrequency oscillations, both in circuit with a common active electrode.

8. In the method of removal of superuous ,A hair the step ofcontrollably blending a stabilized direct current with a source of highfrequency oscillations, the output of both leading to a com'- mon activeelectrode.v

HENRI E. Syri-Enna. REFERENCES crrrln.

The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,155,036 Brooks Sept. 28,- 19152,024,624 Bryne Dec. 17, 1935 2,238,344 Schuler Apr. 15, 1941 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date'l 583,414 Germany Sept: 2, 1933

